Ivory Coast ex-first lady, odas wey Constitutional Council clear for 2025 presidential election

Ivory Coast Constitutional Council don release di final list of candidates wey dey cleared to run for di October 25 presidential election.

While 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara make di list, key opposition politicians wey go for fit face di current president for di election no make di list.

Di candidates include di leader of di Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI-RDA) Tidjane Thiam and former president Laurent Gbagbo.

However, one surprise candidate wey make di list na Ivory Coast former First Lady, Simone Gbagbo.

Di 76-year-old go run against President Alassane Ouattara, wey take ova power afta dem capture she and her former husband, Laurent Gbagbo, inside one presidential bunker during di kasala wey hit di kontri afta di 2010 election.

Out of di 33 applications, na only five candidates di council clear to contest for di election, wey include two women.

Who dey in and who dey out

Among those wey dem clear to run na:

Di Constitutional Council reject di candidate of former Tidjane Thiam, one former CEO of Credit Suisse. E bin renounce im French citizenship to comply wit electoral requirements. However, di Council rule say e be don already give up im Ivorian nationality e become French citizen for 1987.

‎‎Di Constitutional Council also reject di candidacies of former president Laurent Gbagbo, and di kontri former prime minister, Pascal Affi N'Guessan.

Dem dey disqualified sake of legal and judicial issues, according to di Council.

Di council ban Laurent Gbagbo from running for president bicos of one 2018 criminal conviction.

Court sentence am in absentia for looting di central bank during di political crisis wey hit Ivory Coast afta di 2010 election.

Although e receive presidential pardon for 2020, e no restore im right to vote or run for office.

E bin also face separate charges of crimes against humanity for di International Criminal Court (ICC), but dem later free am.

‎‎Di exclusion of all three heavyweights don raise alarm about di transparency and fairness of di electoral process.

Dia disqualification don raise concerns about di legitimacy of the 25 October vote and e don spark fears of instability.

Who be Tidjane Thiam, key opposition leader wey council disqualify and how e react

Key opposition politician and leader of di Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI-RDA) Thiam Tidjane don strongly condemn im rejection from di list.

E call di ruling an "act of democratic vandalism" and e accuse President Ouattara administration of organising a "sham election" wey e say e design to cling to power.

Thiam warn say going ahead wit di elections go "disenfranchise millions of Ivorians wey dey hope to freely choose dia president".

Thiam come from a long line of politicians.

Im great-uncle - Félix Houphouët-Boigny - na Ivory Coast founding president.

Four of im five brothers, including Thiam himself, bin don serve as ministers under five different presidents.

Afta e become di first Ivorian to pass di entrance exam to France prestigious Polytechnique engineering school, e return to Ivory Coast and begin politics.

For 1998, aged 36, e become planning minister bifor dem remove PDCI from power inside one coup di following year.

E come move go abroad to pursue one largely successful business career.

Thiam don hold senior positions in leading international businesses like Aviva, Prudential and Credit Suisse.

E later quit di latter for 2020 afta one spying scandal although, dem don clear am of any involvement.

However, Thiam don face criticism from political opponents say e dey absent from Ivory Coast for 20 years, wey for dem, mean say e get poor recognition among Ivorians.

But e believe say im years outside im kontri don infact, help am build im profile at home.

Ouattara assume presidency for 2011, afta Laurent Gbagbo arrest afta e refuse to accept defeat for di 2010 election.

Ouattara originally bin dey restricted to serve for two terms, but one 2016 constitutional overhaul later allow am to seek re-election for 2020, for inside one vote wey di opposition boycott.

E win dat election wit landslide victory, wit at least 85 pipo wey die sake of di kasala di election cause.

Di kontri leader later declare say im go run for anoda term..

For Simone Gbagbo, her candidacy no only dey politically significant but e dey symbolically powerful for kontri wia women remain largely underrepresented for national leadership.

Only 30% of Ivorian parliamentarians be women, and na only few of dem don hold senior roles in govment.

Once nicknamed "The Iron Lady", Simone Gbagbo now don become di strongest female contender for di presidency for Ivory Coast history.

She and ex-minister Henriette Lagou Adjoua, wey dey represent di Political Partners for Peace coalition, na di two women wey di Constitutional Council approve dia candidacy.

Who be Simone Gbagbo

Simone Gbagbo don get long and active career inside Ivorian politics, she bin serve as MP - wey later dey overshadowed by her role for di violence wey hapun for 2010 elections wey lead to di death of more dan 3,000 pipo.

Sake of dat, one court for Ivory Coast sentence her to 20 years in prison for 2015.

President Ouattara later grant her amnesty afta three years to foster reconciliation. Unlike her former husband, di conviction no lead to her removal from di voter register.

Di ICC bin also pursue charges against her for 2012, but dem drop am about nine years later.

Since den, she don dey quietly and methodically rebuild her political base, following her break from di Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) - di party she and her former husband, ex-President Gbagbo establish.

Her campaign slogan na call to "build a new nation" within "a sovereign, dignified, and prosperous Africa."

"Her approval don legitimise di idea say Ivorian women fit aspire to di highest office, regardless of dia past, age, or gender.

She no just be candidate – she be symbol," one local political analyst Severin Yao Kouamés tok.

E neva dey clear if Laurent Gbagbo, wey dey disqualified now from di election, go support im ex-wife.

Di two of dem bin dey married for more dan 30 years, dem share a life of political militancy, imprisonment, and governance. Dem divorce for 2023.

Di kontri get 8.7 million registered voters, fears dey say di exclusion of some of di oda candidates fit affect public trust and trigger renewed unrest.

Pipo dey reason say di 2025 election go be ogbonge moment for Ivorian democracy. However, di mass disqualifications of candidates don raise concerns about di legitimacy of di vote and e don spark fears of instability.

Di kontri turbulent electoral history, wey di devastating 2010-2011 post-election conflict cause bin claim ova 3,000 lives and di 2020 unrest following President Ouattara third-term bid, still dey ground.

As campaigning kick off on September 10th, observers caution say di exclusion of prominent opposition figures fit comot trust in di electoral process and deepen political divisions for di West African nation.